How to spell correct

hear itcor·rect/kə'rɛkt/verbRules and real life

What it means: To fix a mistake or make something right.

In a sentence: Please correct your spelling mistake in the word "happy."

The part people get wrong

Watch for double r, and an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear. Often misspelled as corect or corret.

Same family: corrected, correcting, correction, correctly, incorrect. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Correct” comes from Latin *correctus*, meaning “set right” or “made straight,” from *regere* “to rule or guide.” It’s related to words like “director” and “rectangle,” which also come from the idea of ruling or straightening.

Patterns it uses: The unstressed vowel (schwa)

Try spelling it

You will hear the word and a sentence. Type it and press Enter. Then four more words from the same level, so you know where you stand.

Words like this

warranty · governor · organized · successor · unfortunately · performance · funeral · measure

Spelling.School is a spaced-repetition spelling practice: ten minutes a day, every word spoken aloud, every miss explained, and every word coming back just before you would forget it. Try five words without signing up.